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“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Matthew 5:44
Anyone who has suffered at the hands of another person, as all of us have, will hear these words of Jesus and say, “Love him? Love her? How is that possible?”
If the people who harm us were able to see what they did wrong, and truly repent, we might find it in our hearts to forgive them. But if they just go on, with no sense of what they’ve done wrong, or worse, they continue doing the same thing, then it’s very hard to have compassion for them.
So, where do we begin if we are to actually do what Jesus commands? How can we love our enemies? The Bible’s teaching about the judgment of God is the best place to start.
When you think about everlasting destruction, think about that in relation to the person who hurt you. You would not wish “everlasting destruction” on your worst enemy, and what it would mean for him or her to be shut out of the presence of the Lord forever. Reflecting on this will begin to help you put his or her offenses against you in perspective.
A deep grasp of this truth will help you pray for those who’ve harmed you, but you don’t need a Ph.D. to get started—begin praying for them now. Bitterness cannot survive for long when you begin to pray for a person who has caused you suffering. You’ll be amazed at the way compassion sneaks in the back door of your heart.
Would you be willing to take a step of faith today by identifying one enemy in your life right now and beginning to pray for them?
